Finding a Job in Rome

Are you considering a job in Rome as the next step in your career path? For more about what the Italian business world has to offer you, from the economy, to job hunting, and working hours, read our guide to working in Rome.

It’s All About Networking

If you are a “self-made” expat and have decided yourself that you would like to start working in Rome, prepare for your job search to require a little patience. Many Italian businesses, especially smaller ones, are family businesses, and family very often plays a vital part in Italian life. With that in mind, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that personal contacts, networking, and recommendations are extremely important for expats looking for a job.

Unfortunately, networking in another country is hard from abroad, but not impossible. The Italian Chamber of Commerce in your home country is a good stepping stone for building a business network in Rome. Conversely, you can make sure to attend events at your chamber of commerce in Rome during a business visit or fact-finding trip to Italy.

At the moment, France, Germany, and the US, as well as Switzerland, Russia, Turkey, and the UK are Italy’s most important trading partners in import and export. If you are a national from one of these countries or speak its language fluently, this could increase your chance to land a job in commerce.

Speculative Applications: Si or No?

If you send speculative applications, job hunting will be difficult unless you know another person working for the same company in Rome. At least try to make personal contact via phone: talk directly to the person who’ll be responsible for handling your application, and leave a (hopefully positive) impression.

If you don’t have the patience for “speculative applications”, there are a number of Italian job search engines (offerte di lavoro) where you can look for job vacancies for Rome. Unless you are planning to work for a large multi-national company, though, most ads will be in Italian, and most positions expect you to have at least a decent grasp of business Italian:

Jobsin Rome (advertises positions in companies that use English as their main working language)

Preparing the Perfect Application

Once you have found a position to apply for, take care to consider common standards in the Italian business world when writing your application. It should consist of a relatively succinct cover letter and a one-page CV (two pages at most). You needn’t attach either your picture or your diplomas and references.

Your cover letter should be addressed to the specific person in charge of the application process. Applications that begin with a generic “Egregio Signore, Gentile Signora” (“dear Sir or Madam”) can often end up in the trash.

If you mention the grades you’ve achieved in a degree course or on a training certificate anywhere (e.g. on your CV), be sure to include the Italian equivalent as a matter of courtesy. For obvious reasons, always specify how good your Italian skills are — but be honest: if you claim to be fluent when you clearly aren’t, this will quickly be exposed during the interview!

How to Nail an Interview

If you make it to an interview for a job in Rome, congratulations! Don’t forget to bring along your references and qualification certificates in a folder in case your potential employer wants to have a look.

As always, make sure to prepare for the interview carefully. This doesn’t just refer to the usual preparations, like reading up on the company. Rome is a fashionable environment. Job applicants are expected to have “la bella figura”, i.e. to be impeccably dressed, have a sense of style, and behave with self-confidence.

Even if you are a generally quiet person or are used to acting in a more reserved manner, you should try to break that habit. Friendly, outgoing, and assertive (though not aggressive) candidates are often those that will appeal spontaneously to Italian HR managers. Address the interviewers politely, with their full name and title, and if the opportunity for small talk arises, throw in a few genuine compliments for the things you like about Rome.

We do our best to keep this article up to date. However, we cannot guarantee that the information provided is always current or complete.

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